The Pod
by hendie
Summary: When Fang recieves a blog comment begging for help, he can't help but go and check it out. But, The strange pod of fish people and the polution dumping sycopaths aren't even the worst part.  a few weeks after the end of Fang
1. The Plea For Help

Fang-

I need your help. My home is being polluted. My friends and I were trying to do something about it but… one of us didn't make it. The wacko evil scientists have a lab nearby and are dumping gallons of toxic waste into our home. Normally, we would just leave, but the last time we were in the lab- well, let's just say that my group can't go anywhere until we take care of some unfinished business.

That is where I need your help. You said for any genetic freaks to contact you. The thing is, most of my group couldn't come to join you even if they wanted to. But, you can come see us. We're half human half animal hybrids, like you. I would love to tell you more, but I don't want anyone to know we are here. Some of my friends don't even approve of me sending this to you. They don't want to admit that we need help. We do, though. Please come. I know this sounds like a trap, but I can't give you any more information.

Your friend,

Snapper

P.S. You'll need your gills.


	2. Fang Meets the Fish Kids

Fang looked around cautiously as he walked into the coffee shop. Max would probably smack him upside the head if she knew that he was doing this. After she was done killing him, of course. Sigh.

Normally, he wouldn't have followed such a sketchy lead. But it had been 3 months since he left the flock, and still no progress on finding any other kids like him. Sure, there had been tons of kids pretending to be, and even the odd crazy fangirl wanting to kidnap and marry him. He was beginning to get rather desperate. This lead may have sounded rather sketchy, but it was different from the others. Instead of wanting to join him, Snapper had only asked for his help. From the email, the group sounded pretty big. Maybe they would be the first new recruits.

The only thing was, Snapper had also warned that some of them might not even want him here. Fantastic.

Not forgetting that the whole thing could just be a huge set up by Dr. God or Mr. Fu Man Chu.

People walked around in swimsuits and t-shirts enjoying the beachy atmosphere. Only a few business looking chaps sat in the Starbucks. Fang bought a bottle of water and sat at the table right next to the bathroom, just as he had been told.

He didn't have to wait long. A few minutes later, the door opened and three kids came in, 2 boys and a girl. One of them was in a wheelchair, his entire bottom half was wrapped up in bandages and covered in a blanket. All three kids wore rash guards, board shorts, and flip flops.

The oldest boy ordered. The little one in the wheelchair held the cups of coffee and the girl pushed him to Fang's table.

The little boy promptly tore into his scone and didn't even look at Fang. The girl, on the other hand, sat down slowly across from him, looking him over. Fang didn't blame her; he was doing the same thing.

The girl looked maybe 13. She had white blonde hair that was tied into a very long braid that went halfway down her back. She had choppy bangs that fell into curious green eyes. Her features were small and her build athletic. She was 5'6 easy, probably even taller, but she slouched. All three of the kid's posture was terrible. Their footsteps were heavy and their movements were awkward. As the boy walked back, it seemed like he barely knew how to walk.

"So you're Fang then?" the oldest boy asked after he had sat down and opened his Dr. Pepper.

"So you're Snapper?" Fang asked, his eyes on the boy. He looked a few years older than him. Sixten? The guy sure was a lot taller than him. He had curly brown hair. He was covered in tiny, minute scars. He had a big nose and strait teeth. His eyes were hazel and he looked curious, but not as much as the girl.

"Nope!" he said, smiling, "that'd be this 'un." He patted the girl on the back.

Fang raised his eyebrows, wondering why Snapper had not said anything yet. She coughed, and water came out of her mouth, and sloshing out all over the table. She put a hand on her throat and shook her head. 'Can't talk' she mouthed.

"She has water lungs. It will take a while for her vocal chords to dry out." The boy explained. "I'm Jonah, by the way. This little tyke here is Beta." He gestured to the little kid. He looked maybe seven or eight, but he would have been tall if he could stand up. Beta had brown eyes and freckles. His dark brown hair was messed up and he had gaps in his teeth. He looked up and gave Fang a big smile.

Jonah shot Beta a stern warning glare.

Fang looked over the trio. They didn't seem terribly threatening.

"Okay," he said slowly, "I still need to know that you aren't crazy, faker, superfans or something."

Jonah glanced at Snapper, and they both glanced at Beta.

"Alright," Jonah agreed, "But not here."

Snapper tossed all of the trash into a can, and Jonah started to wheel Beta out of the shop. Fang was going over his choices in his head. Option one; He could go with these kids. If he did, he had an uneasy feeling that he would get sucked into a whole nother evil plot to take over the world or something. There would probably be fights, and those almost never ended well. Option two, he could ditch this place and let the kids fend for themselves. He could lie low and pick up a couple other freakoids , and somehow save the world, and that would defiantly end in fights. Plus, he might lose the best lead he had gotten in a long time.

Fang got up and followed Snapper out of the door. They pushed through crowds of tourists and made their way to the end of the street. There was a sign for a walking trail. Jonah started to push Beta up the steep incline. The trail looked like it led through some wooded area and then to the beach. Snapper ran straight for the trees. They all kept walking until they were in a small clearing.

"No one has ever seen this before. What you are about to see has been kept a secret for over 15 years." Jonah warned me, "If you tell anyone, you'll have Ork to answer to."

Before Fang could ask who the heck Ork was, Snapper lifted the blanket off of Beta's lap. She and Jonah slowly unwrapped the tight bandages covering his whole lower half. Beta breathed a sigh of relief.

Fang watched as Snapper and Jonah backed away to reveal Beta's fish tail.

It melded with his body perfectly. One half of him was a little kid in a green rash guard, which flowed perfectly in to half of him that looked like, well… the bottom half of a giant, red beta fish. Beta extended his fins; they looked rather rumpled after being bound so tightly. He leaned forward and extended his dorsal fin. It came through a slit in the back of his rash guard.

It was pretty amazing. Beta wore a look similar to the one that the flock wore extending their wings after tightly folding them in for a long time.

Snapper coughed a couple more times.

"Do you believe us now?" she asked, her voice cracking.

Fang nodded slowly. "So, what did you need my help with?" he asked, wanting to fully know what he was getting himself into.

Snapper frowned. "We can't really tell you as much as show you. Come with us." She said. Jonah handed her a Wal-Mart bag. "And, here," she threw the bag at Fang. "Put these on."

Inside the bag was a rash guard and board shorts. Well, you couldn't bring your leather jacket on every adventure. At least these were black.


End file.
